


Hush

by Esperata



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Conversations, M/M, Visitation, incarceration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-20
Updated: 2019-04-20
Packaged: 2020-01-20 20:57:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18533038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Esperata/pseuds/Esperata
Summary: In the aftermath of the events of 'Hush', Penguin and Riddler find themselves having a necessary conversation about their relationship.





	Hush

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mrgoldsdearie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrgoldsdearie/gifts).



> A tentative gift for all the wonderful works contributed to the fandom.

After Batman’s visit left him bruised and bleeding, Ed wasn’t sure he was feeling up to more visitors. Unfortunately Arkham wasn’t in the habit of taking the inmates’ concerns into consideration and he was dragged along to the secure room. His mood lifted though when he saw who his guest was.

“Ozzie!”

Penguin glared at him, clearly not feeling a reciprocal amount of joy in the visit. As Riddler was sat into the chair and his cuffs linked to the table he frantically wracked his mind for why Oswald would be annoyed with him. It was hardly the first time he’d been tripped up by the Bat and it probably wouldn’t be the last. That was just the life they led. And Ed had made sure to avoid involving Penguin in any of his recent manipulation and coercion.

When the guard finally stepped away leaving them in peace, Riddler smiled cautiously.

“Its good to see you.”

Opposite him Oswald practically deflated, pressing his fingertips to his forehead and exhaling slowly.

“Eddie, don’t make this more difficult than it needs to be.”

The answer left Riddler puzzled. There weren’t many people who could so consistently catch him wrong footed but Penguin had always been one of them.

“Make what difficult?”

Oswald looked across to him again and Ed was concerned to see he looked excessively tired.

“Saying goodbye.”

Edward went into panic mode as the words registered in his brain and he surged forward in alarm, restraints clinking loudly.

“Goodbye? What do you mean ‘saying goodbye’?”

“Don’t play stupid Edward. It doesn’t suit you.”

“But… I don’t understand!” It was an admission he hated making but more than that he needed to prompt an explanation. Oswald apparently wasn’t convinced if his eye roll was to be believed.

“Really Riddler? You’re going to make me lay it all out?” As no reply was forthcoming, he continued with a huff. “Fine. It’s been months since I’ve seen you, even spoken to you, and while I understand that’s a consequence of our line of work sometimes, I find out that you’ve been busy dealing with every other major criminal in Gotham!”

“It was a dangerous ploy,” Edward explained. “I didn’t want to involve you.”

He realised by Oswald’s heightened glare and grinding jaw that this probably wasn’t the best excuse he could provide.

“More than just being active without involving me, or even _consulting_ me, is the fact I now find out you were suffering from an inoperable brain tumour?”

His tone implied he hoped Riddler would refute this statement. Edward however merely cast his gaze to his shackled wrists as he replied.

“It wasn’t something that could be fixed with money and… I didn’t want to worry you.”

“Didn’t want to worry me?” Penguin repeated in an agitated pitch. “And how do you think I’d have felt if you’d just died and I found out about it afterwards? Without getting to spend any final time with you?”

“But I’m not dead!” Riddler felt a surge of optimism. “Everything worked out beautifully. The Lazarus Pit has left me feeling like a new man!”

He was somewhat disappointed when this statement merely seemed to discourage Oswald further and Penguin sighed heavily again.

“Yes. A new man. That’s the bigger problem.”

This finally irritated Riddler and he glowered.

“How is it a problem that I’m hale and hearty rather than withering away into an early grave?” he demanded.

“Oh my dear.” Oswald leant forward with an infinitely sad smile. “I’m happy you’re so fit again. Truly. But surely you see how this changes things?”

All Riddler could do was blink blankly back at him and Penguin leant back with a resigned look.

“There has always been a… disparity between us,” he began slowly. “While we may be on a similar level intellectually, you have always been undeniably the more youthful, handsome one.”

“Ozzie,” Ed murmured softly only to be halted by a presumptuous hand.

“No. It needs to be said. I believed I made up for that with my wealth and influence.” He held his head high before faltering. “But that hardly seems sufficient now.”

“You’re still the most influential crook in Gotham Penguin. Nothing happens in this city without you knowing about it.”

“Nothing?” Penguin shot him a challenging look and Riddler had to glance away with a chastised blush. He heard Oswald sigh again. “The truth is I’m feeling my age Eddie. I won’t lie to you, I’ve been thinking of drawing back from the action. Settling in my well feathered nest. I had thought you might be considering the same…” He trailed off, the undeniable truth between them that the idea had never occurred to Riddler.

“Even if you had been,” Penguin continued determinedly, “this whole thing has clearly rejuvenated you. You’re positively bubbling with energy. I couldn’t ask you to give that up.”

“Why would I have to give it up?” Riddler asked automatically.

Penguin surveyed him almost fondly.

“You shouldn’t,” he agreed. “And that’s why this is goodbye.”

Riddler’s thoughts crashed again as he saw Oswald pull himself upright and realised Penguin had said all he apparently was going to say.

“Wait!” He reached instinctively before remembering his cuffs. “I still don’t understand. Why must it be goodbye? We never worried about leading separate lives before. Why does it make a difference now?”

“Edward,” Oswald didn’t turn back to look at him although he had stopped. “I’m tired. I can’t keep up with you anymore. You deserve someone better able to support you in your endeavours.”

“But… I love you.”

Those three words brought Oswald’s gaze immediately back to him with a renewed intensity that made Edward nervous. He had said them as a last resort, a weak plea given Oswald had not deemed the fact sufficient to deter him before. He hardly expected Oswald to even notice his desperation let alone fix him with such a punishing look. He squirmed, unsure why his statement was having such an effect. It wasn’t as if…

“That’s the first time you’ve said that to me.”

“That’s not true!” he protested.

“It’s the first time you’ve said it outside of the heat of passion. Or an intoxicated state. Or as a means to coerce me.” Oswald frowned unhappily.

Edward opened his mouth to protest this again before slowly coming to the realisation the man was right. He shut his mouth as he recalled the numerous times he’d prefixed a request with a whine of ‘Oswald, you know I love you.’ He’d always assumed Oswald _had_ known it but it seems that perhaps he’d been operating under a misconception.

It was a saddening realisation to suddenly understand his lover had not been as sure of his affection as he always had been of Oswald’s, but it was also a last chance.

“Oswald,” he spoke carefully, aware that a mistake now could cost him the most important person in his life. “I can’t stop you from leaving if you want to.” He lifted his chained hands for emphasis. “But I beg you not to go without letting me reaffirm what you mean to me.”

Cautious pale eyes glanced to him and he locked them in his own sincere gaze, willing his lover to hear him out.

“I love you,” he said emphatically, noting the slight widening of Oswald’s eyes. “There has never been anyone else in my life to compare to you. If I kept details of my activities from you it was only from a misguided attempt to protect you. I don’t care if you’re running at my side in a caper or running your own deals to act as interference. All I care about is whether you’re there for me at the end of the day.” He found himself swallowing hard. “I may not be ready to retire yet but when I do I’ll want nothing more than to grow old at your side.”

Oswald’s eyes dropped away but he remained poised where he was.

“I’ll be decrepit long before you Eddie.”

“Then I’d be honoured to care for you Oswald but I think you’re being overly pessimistic. You’re strong as an ox.”

He chanced a grin and saw Penguin couldn’t resist a smirk as he looked back to him.

“Ozzie, things haven’t really changed so much as you think. You’re already toning down your criminal involvement. Its not that much of a step to you stepping back further. And I’ll be as happy to share your bed and as much of your life as you want then as I am now. It doesn’t matter to me whether you’re ruling Gotham or tending an aviary. I love the man not just the persona.”

Silence fell as a blush stole its way onto Oswald’s cheeks and he clearly sought something to say in response.

“If you expect me to keep house and wait meekly for you to grace me with your presence,” he began with an attempt at bluster. Riddler scoffed.

“You’ve never waited meekly in your life Oswald,” he pointed out. “I am sure you’ll be no different in retirement. And if you haven’t got enough stashed away by now to afford staff to keep house then I have several questions about what you’ve been doing with your money.”

Penguin retook his seat gingerly and hesitantly reached his hands across to Edward who caught them gratefully.

“There will be rules Eddie. No coming home while you’re on a job. I won’t have the Bat violating our home.”

“Absolutely,” Riddler agreed unhesitatingly.

“And I expect you to tell me things. No keeping secrets. If there’s one thing I’ll never stop it’s knowing what’s going on in and around Gotham. It was frankly embarrassing to realise how much you’d kept under my radar.”

Edward raised Oswald’s hand as far as he could and bent down to press a kiss to the back in apology.

“If it’s any consolation, its only my intimate knowledge of you that let me do that. No-one else would stand a chance.”

Oswald huffed in response to that obviously only partially mollified.

“No going off radar yourself either,” he added insistently. “I expect to hear from you once a week at least to assure me you’re still breathing.”

The clear worry in his tone touched Edward and he smiled softly.

“I don’t want to guide anyone into pressing you for my whereabouts,” he suggested.

“You’re a genius Eddie. I’m sure you can come up with _something._ ”

“Of course. Anything for my crooked bird.”

Penguin dropped his gaze and caressed the hands in his. It was a comfortable moment of peace between them and neither rushed to break it.

“I’ll speak to Harvey Dent,” Oswald finally declared. “Ask him to present a case for your early release.”

“You think that will work?”

Oswald shrugged, reluctantly disengaging their hands.

“Your ‘insanity’ this time could be wholly attributed to the trauma of your diagnosis coupled with the effects of the Lazarus Pit. I’m sure he could make a case for you. And I have certain facts in my possession about some of his own past activities that he might not wish to have shared.”

Edward grinned.

“There’s the perfidious Penguin I fell in love with,” he purred leaning across the table. “Still as devious and desirable as ever.”

The object of his affections blushed adorably but leant forward too to meet his lips.

“You’re irredeemably incorrigible,” he muttered against Riddler’s mouth.

Edward didn’t answer, merely hummed and enjoyed the taste of his lover. Oswald was right. He had been away far too long.

The guard’s didn’t share their sense of romance though and the door almost immediately banged open.

“OK. Two feet apart you two. Leave room for Jesus.”

Both rogues sighed reluctantly as they pulled back the required distance. For a second they hovered between flaunting the instruction and obeying but eventually their rationality won out. It wouldn’t do to give the authorities any reason to place black marks on Riddler’s Arkham record if they wanted an early release.

Oswald stood himself up again with a wry smile.

“I’ll set the wheels in motion,” he promised. “Hopefully you’ll be joining me on the outside very soon.”

“I’ll look forward to it,” Ed replied before adding, “We’ll spend some time together, just the two of us.”

“I’ll look forward to that my dove.”

Oswald had just got to the door, the guard unsuccessfully trying to hurry him when Ed spoke again.

“Oswald?”

The Penguin easily halted his escort’s attempts to move him and turned back inquisitively.

“I love you,” Ed told him simply.

Oswald’s beaming smile made any hesitance he might have felt vanish. He was going to make sure Oswald never doubted that fact again and would find ever more creative ways to prove it if necessary. He didn’t know what their future might hold but he was going to make sure that whatever it was they faced it together.


End file.
